WellSpring Center to host open house Sunday

For about 30 years, WellSpring Center has been providing relief for homeless families in Morgan County.

WellSpring Executive Director Bob Goodrum hopes that county residents will stop by the shelter for an open house from 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday at its center, 301 W. Harrison St., Martinsville.

“We just kind of open the doors at WellSpring for a couple hours and let people come in and find out about who we are and what we do,” he said.

Many area residents may not be completely aware of what kind of work takes place at the shelter and the open house is a way for people to see that work for themselves.

Recently, a Martinsville native and Ivy Tech student, who had heard about the shelter but didn’t know much about it, job shadowed at WellSpring for a day.

That student now wants to work an internship at the center.

“We find people like that all the time,” Goodrum said.

Many county residents, according to Goodrum, say they are not aware that WellSpring is the only shelter for homeless families in the Morgan County.

The open house also gives people the chance to meet members of the staff and the board and tour through the building.

There will be some carnival games set up for kids to play for free and refreshments will be provided.

One of the event sponsors, Modern Woodmen, is offering a matching grant for up to $2,500.

“So, if we raise $2,500 on Sunday, they will match that dollar for dollar up to $2,500,” Goodrum said.

The other sponsors include Anthem, Citizens Bank and ComForCare, and each of the sponsors will have informational booths at the event.

The event can be educational and allows the center to have face-to-face time with donors and volunteers for the center.

“We meet new people all of the time,” Goodrum said.

Job Corps will also be present at the event with an informational table.

Goodrum said many people will learn about WellSpring and are then able to make referrals to struggling families in the area who may not have previously known about the shelter.

A lot of county residents also often get confused between what services WellSpring offers and the other homeless shelters in the county like the Magdalene House, Manna Mission and other local organizations like Churches in Mission.

According to Goodrum, the event has taken place for three years and there is a new audience every year. But he also enjoys seeing returning faces as well.

They will also have one of the center’s transitional apartments open for event attendees to get to see.

“This is where they live,” Goodrum said. “This is where they go to their homework club.”

He said finding ways for people to connect to one another and that there is value to helping those in need within their own communities.

During the last fiscal year, 99 different adults and 95 children were provided shelter and other services through WellSpring and a total of 19,066 nights of shelter were provided.